Gov. DeSantis on Back Heels as Disney Lawsuit Escalates

Photo byMatt Johnson

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is seemingly on his back heels in his fight against Disney.

He's reaching for a get-out-of-jail-free card. DeSantis' legal team requested that Disney's case against the corporation be dropped, claiming DeSantis and at least one other defendant are "immune" to legal action.

Legal representatives for DeSantis and Meredith Ivey, the Department of Economic Opportunity secretary, submitted the 27-page motion to dismiss. Additionally, the lawyers countered Disney's claim that DeSantis singled out the firm after it opposed the divisive state classroom measure known as "Don't Say Gay" by detractors.

Meanwhile, DeSantis is seemingly banking on turning his legal troubles into political wins in other states.

The legal fireworks

The governor is attempting to have the case dismissed as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination and leans more and more into his protracted conflict with Disney.

Disney, one of Florida's major employers, and DeSantis, the second-place GOP candidate behind Trump, have been at odds for over a year.

The Walt Disney World special tax district in Florida is the focus of the entertainment industry giant's complaint since it has long enabled the business to run its activities there on its own virtually.

After Disney attacked the Republican-backed classroom measure, DeSantis and his allies rushed to dismantle that special tax district.

Before those new board members assumed control, Disney signed development agreements. The corporation filed a lawsuit when the new board members decided to nullify the contracts.

The attorneys claimed that DeSantis and Ivey do not enforce any of the statutes in the lawsuit and that Disney's attempts to connect them to those laws "are unpersuasive."

In April, Disney brought a First Amendment complaint to a federal court. The DeSantis-appointed board countersued in state court a few days later. In May, Disney submitted a motion to dismiss that state-level lawsuit.

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